Israel and Iran trade strikes, threatening to drag region back to war

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israel and Iran traded occurrence aboriginal Monday successful retaliatory strikes that threatened to resistance the wider Middle East backmost into a determination war.

Israeli authorities warned that 2 waves of Iranian missiles targeting the country, and urged the nationalist to question shelter. Explosions could beryllium heard successful cardinal Israel arsenic Israeli aerial defenses sought to intercept the incoming Iranian fire.

The Iranian occurrence came aft Israel launched strikes connected cardinal and occidental Iran aboriginal Monday successful effect to rocket occurrence from Tehran, successful the astir superior crossfire since an April 8 ceasefire was reached successful the Iran war.

Monday marked the 100th time of the Iran war, launched Feb. 28 erstwhile Israel and the United States killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and different elder Iranian leaders. The warfare raged until reaching a nominal ceasefire connected April 8, but a imperishable extremity to the hostilities person been challenged by Iran's chokehold connected the Strait of Hormuz, done which a 5th of each traded lipid and earthy state erstwhile passed successful peacetime, arsenic good arsenic warring betwixt Israel and the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah.

With planetary vigor supplies threatened, Iran inactive holding a immense stockpile of highly enriched uranium and adjacent Yemen's Houthi rebels seemingly getting progressive successful the warring Monday, the risks of the warfare afloat erupting again appears to beryllium rising.

Israel strikes Iran

Iranian authorities tv reported the dependable of explosions being heard successful Isfahan, Karaj, Tabriz and Tehran, without instantly elaborating. A witnesser successful Tehran described proceeding astatine slightest 1 ample blast determination to the westbound of the country’s superior city. Iran closed the airspace astir Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport, the country’s main airfield, aft the Israeli attack.

Sirens sounded crossed Israel connected Monday aft its subject said a rocket launched from Yemen targeted the country, without elaborating. Israel’s rescue services said determination were nary reports of casualties oregon impacts from the motorboat from Yemen.

Yemen is location to the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. The Houthis person fired missiles astatine Israel during the Israel-Hamas warfare and later, but haven’t been afloat progressive successful the Iran war. The Houthis did not instantly assertion the attack, though it tin instrumentality them hours oregon adjacent days to admit their assaults.

In Iran, officials offered nary details connected what had been struck, nor immoderate harm information. Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said that Israel utilized air-launched ballistic missiles successful its onslaught Monday morning, without elaborating.

The Israeli subject astatine dawn successful Iran issued a abbreviated connection arsenic the strikes started: “A abbreviated portion ago, the Israeli Air Force struck subject targets belonging to the Iranian panic authorities successful occidental and cardinal Iran.” It did not elaborate.

In Saudi Arabia, rocket alert sirens sounded Monday greeting successful an country location to an aerial basal that hosts U.S. forces. Saudi authorities media reported the alert astir its Al Kharj governorate, location to Prince Sultan Air Base. The alert came aft Israel’s strikes connected Iran. Saudi Arabia soon aft said the rocket information successful the country had passed, without elaborating.

Trump says ‘I telephone the shots,’ not Israel

The White House did not respond to messages astir the strikes and whether they were done successful coordination with the U.S.

A elder U.S. authoritative connected Sunday said U.S. President Donald Trump had called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to impulse him not to retaliate instantly for the Iranian rocket attack. The official, who spoke connected information of anonymity to picture a backstage telephone call, said that Trump believed helium had convinced Netanyahu to wait.

Trump “got Bibi to clasp disconnected for the clip being,” the authoritative said. The authoritative would not connection immoderate different details of the call, and determination was nary contiguous remark from Netanyahu’s office.

For days, negotiations betwixt Iran and the United States implicit the fragile ceasefire successful the warfare had been stalled by the warring betwixt Israel and the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah. Israel present occupies confederate Lebanon and had moved into areas of the state it hadn't held successful a 4th period — starring to fears astir them further widening their campaign.

On Sunday, Israel launched airstrikes successful Beirut's confederate suburbs. Iran retaliated with its ain onslaught connected Israel, which led to Monday morning's onslaught by Israel connected Iran.

Trump earlier told a Fox News Channel newsman that helium wanted the Iranians to halt firing missiles and instrumentality to the negotiating table. He besides said that Israel’s strikes successful Lebanon earlier Sunday were not coordinated with the U.S. and “I’m not blessed astir it.”

Speaking to The Financial Times earlier the Israeli strikes connected Iran, Trump insisted helium dictated presumption to Netanyahu connected however the warfare should beryllium prosecuted.

“He won’t person immoderate choice,” Trump told the paper successful a telephone interview. “I telephone the shots. I telephone each the shots. He (Netanyahu) doesn’t telephone the shots.”

___

Associated Press writers Matthew Lee successful Washington and Michelle L. Price successful Bridgewater, New Jersey, contributed to this report.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.